Irresistible Million Dollar Bacon
The name Million Dollar Bacon comes from its luxurious flavor. Yummy pieces of thick bacon covered in brown sugar, spices, and maple syrup. It’s the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and salty.

This enticing treat is often found on brunch menus, made popular by the restaurant chain, First Watch. It has a sweet, spicy, and savory flavor profile that’s pretty irresistible. This recipe has a magical way of blending spices and sugars together to make a caramelized bacon that you can’t stop eating.
Helpful Tips
- For best results, use thick-cut bacon as it will hold up better to the caramelization process.
- Experiment with different types of bacon, such as applewood-smoked or maple-glazed, to add unique flavor profiles to your Million Dollar Bacon.
- Flip the bacon halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning and caramelization on both sides.
- Keep an eye on the bacon as it cooks to prevent it from burning. The sugar coating can caramelize quickly and easily go from perfectly crispy to overdone.

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Million Dollar Bacon
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound thick cut bacon cut into 3rds
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add brown sugar, maple syrup, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes to a bowl and stir to combine. It will resemble a thick paste.
- With your hands, rub the paste thinly onto both sides of each piece of bacon.
In the oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Set the strips of bacon on the baking sheet, spaced so they aren’t overlapping.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the bacon pieces are crispy.
- Transfer the bacon to a cooling rack until it’s cool to the touch.
In the air fryer:
- There is no need to preheat the air fryer. Place the bacon strips in the air fryer basket, spaced so they aren’t overlapping.
- Cook on 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a cooling rack until it’s cool to the touch.
